Valerie and Yvonne Cohen were ‘artful’ in more ways than one. Both sisters were artists, and most of their friends and lovers were artists. They were ‘artistic’, seeking an unconventional life. For years they spent their winters on a tiny tropical island. And they – particularly Val – were artful dodgers.

Their cousin Penny Olsen knew them best in their old age in Melbourne: Von died in 2004 when she was almost ninety, and Val, the older sister by two years, died in 2008. Olsen had long been fascinated by the almost inseparable sisters and the family stories about their romantic lives. In Olsen’s experience, Val was the feisty one and Von the passive accomplice. Val would masquerade as a poor, helpless little old lady in op shop clothes, while grinding down the tradie or the butcher to accept a far lower price. But they came from a wealthy family and were always well-off.